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'Defending the right to blasphemy protects everyone’, says secular writer Fourest

2016-01-06 4 Dailymotion

<p>FRANCE 24 talks to former Charlie Hebdo contributor Caroline Fourest about the satirical weekly magazine, which was the target of a deadly terrorist attack on January 7, 2015, launched by those offended by its depictions of the Prophet Mohammed. </p><br />Fourest said Charlie Hebdo is not Islamophobic but rather takes aim at all forms of extremism. She described the magazine as a &quot;satirical, atheist newspaper whose aim is to promote debate&quot;.<br />The weekly is known for its humorous covers lampooning political and religious leaders of all stripes, and one of the paper&rsquo;s biggest targets is often France&rsquo;s anti-immigrant far-right National Front party.<br />Those that targeted the magazine were not Muslims, she said, but &quot;fanatics&quot;. The paper lost many of its top editorial staff when Islamist militants stormed into an editorial meeting on January 7, 2015, and opened fire, killing 11 people and then claiming a 12th victim, a policeman, as they fled. The attackers later claimed to be acting in the name of Al Qaeda in Yemen.<br />&quot;Defending the right to blasphemy protects everyone&quot;, Fourest said. &quot;It actually protects religious minorities, atheists and free-thinkers from those people who should not be making the rules, namely the fanatics&quot;.<br /><br />Visit our website:<br />http://www.france24.com<br /><br />Like us on Facebook:<br />https://www.facebook.com/FRANCE24.English<br /><br />Follow us on Twitter:<br />https://twitter.com/France24_en

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